Monday various & sundry

Listening to this now:

Ricochet Podcast Episode 2: News with Brioche
February 5, 2010
Rob Long and Mark Steyn are joined by guests law professor John C. Yoo and Breitbart.com's Andrew Breitbart. Topics covered include Miranda rights for terrorists, a report from the Tea Party convention, the joyless MSM, Al-Qaeda's potential new bomb making strategy that may be particularly problematic for certain parts of Los Angeles, and some unconventional Super Bowl picks.

I've just gotta say it: I heart Yoo.


Carol Lee on Obama the scold:

Rep. Tom Price, a Georgia Republican, thinks Obama has just taken a Democratic trait to a new level. “They want to tell you exactly how to eat, where to live, what light bulbs to purchase, what car to purchase, what house to purchase — down to the minute detail,” Price said.

But to some extent, it’s an approach that comes naturally to the former University of Chicago law professor, even if it might not always be effective. “The fatherly scold doesn’t work well, at least in part because he’s one of our youngest presidents,” said presidential scholar Stephen Hess of the Brookings Institution.

Age hasn’t stopped the president, who, at 48, is at ease urging the Obama way — on a range of issues — onto those a lot more experienced than he is. He is at once Americans’ president and their additional dad, teacher, preacher, nutritionist, life coach and financial adviser.

Some of Obama's advice, though obvious, is perfectly sound -- encourage your kids to read more, and spend more time with them. But the article is packed with examples of Obama giving advice that he either doesn't follow himself or is unqualified to advise on due to ignorance. Love this conclusion featuring Harry Reid:

After Obama told Senate Democrats to turn off the computer and the TV, Reid said he took the president’s advice.

“Mr. President, you’ve told me, suggested: Don’t pay any attention to the blogs, don’t listen to talk radio, don’t watch cable TV,” said Reid. “And I follow that advice pretty good.”

Heh.


Mark Tapscott isn't reassured by Geithner:

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is reassuring Americans that the huge deficits and spiralling nationa debt "will never" damage the country's sterling credit rating because investors will continue to view the U.S. as a good investment.

And in other news, Roman Emperor Romulus Augustus reassured his citizens that they should not worry about those hordes of barbarians gathering outside the city.

Rome is too big to fail, so they will never invade Rome," the Emperor said. "Besides, if they were to sack Rome, where would they go for our fine entertainments, including the orgies, drama productions with real executions, and, let's not forget, our incomparable gladitorial contests in the Coliseum."

German barbarian leader Odoacer was asked for comment, but would only say through a spokesman that he would soon confer in person with the Emperor about his future status.

Jennifer Rubin on the possibility of Supreme Court changes:

The quiet buzz of anticipation is bubbling up into news accounts: one or more Supreme Court justices may step down this year. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has not been in good health, and Justice John Paul Stevens will be 90 in June. With a wave election anticipated and more Republicans on the way to the Senate, now may be the time for “liberal” judges to step down in hopes of having their spots filled by equally “liberal” justices.

What is interesting in all the buzz is the candor with which the Left now admits that Sonia Sotomayor was a dud. . . .

Some liberals complain that she isn’t liberal enough. Others delicately put it that she is not a “trailblazer” or a “Scalia of the Left.” Translation: she lacks the intellectual firepower to go toe-to-toe with justices who rely on judicial originalism and to sway Justice Anthony Kennedy to their side. She was Latina but not very wise, they now concede.

She links to this WSJ report.


There's no limit to the number of holes to be found in the rancid swiss cheese that was global warmism:

Africagate: Corn crop predictions unfounded, and a warning that the IPCC just might "lose all credibility." That ship has sailed, no?

IPCC report riddled with errors: See article for details.

Ed Morrissey notes:

The IPCC doesn’t do science. They do advocacy, mainly for the idea of international control of energy and manufacturing, with a healthy dose of redistribution of wealth. These revelations should put an end to any reliance on IPCC work for American policy, and the UN should be pressured to fire everyone involved in this sham, starting with railroad engineer Rajendra Pachauri.

Mr. Pachauri seems to be cracking under the pressure, suggesting we rub asbestos in our faces. (Maybe he should stick to soccer and novel writing.)

From Doug Ross: Obama's palm pilot.

Dying of boredom: It can happen.


Linked at Michelle Malkin (buzzworthy) -- thanks!

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